Category Archives: Articles

Map-It – Bond, James Bond: Charting the 24 Films of the Spy Franchise

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TL;DR – Today we chart every location visited on screen in the James Bond film franchise

James Bond. Image Credit: MGM and others.

Article –

Over the last little while, I have been rewatching all the old Bonds now that they are all streaming here in Australia. Watching the old Bonds I have been struck by a lot of things, like how did they ever get away with calling a film Octopussy? But the one really interesting thing is just how much of the world James Bond visits in his travels. Indeed back before air travel was as available as it is now, this was one of the core drivers of the Bond franchise. Because you got to see exotic parts of the world that you would never get to see in your lifetime and this is still the same today.

So with this map, I have tried to get every location that I could find but this did lead to some issues. There are a lot of places where there are no clear locations, indeed there are a few fictional countries as well. With that in mind I have made some educated guesses, and when there are not reasons otherwise I have used the actual filming locations as a guide. It was also fun to see the locations that films like coming back to like Hong Kong, Istanbul, Venice, and Austria. Well, without further ado, here is the James Bond World Map.   

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Awards – Worldbuilding that Astounded us in 2018

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Worldbuilding that Astounded us in 2018

One of the benefits of film is that it is a visual media, and that means that it can do in a frame what it might take a book a number of pages to pull off. Where we see this the most is in its ability to build worlds in front of us.

These worlds could be great space operas that explore galaxies, or a small period piece that look back in time, or anything really. But when every part of the film is being used to tell a story, you know it is good.   

So without further ado, these are films that showed an excellence in Worldbuilding 2018. Be warned that there may be some slight spoilers ahead for the films in question.

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The Films from 2018 That Put Some Fun Into Our Lives

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The Films from 2018 That Put Some Fun Into Our Lives

In a world full of dower grittiness, it is nice sometimes to sit back, crack a cold one, and just enjoy some fun, and God knows in 2018 we needed it. So today, I take a moment to champion those films that brought the fun, whether through upbeat action, one laugh after another, or that silliness that brings a smile to your face.

So without further ado, these are films that brought the fun in 2018. Be warned that there may be some slight spoilers ahead for the films in question.

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Awards – The Films from 2018 That Showed Off the Wonderful Glory of Animation

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The Films from 2018 That Showed Off the Wonderful Glory of Animation

Animation is a form of filmmaking that is often related to second-tier status, something just for kids. This is by both the organisations giving out the awards and also by the very guilds that are meant to be promoting their member’s work. However, they are not second-tier films, and in many ways, it is the animated films that are pushing the frontiers of filmmaking and what is possible, and they should be championed for the work that they do.     

Animated films can be hand drawn, stop/clay motion, computer generated, it does not matter, but all of them show amazing techniques of hundreds of artists that bring the work to life.

So without further ado, these are the animated films that showed us the glory of animation in 2018. Be warned that there may be some slight spoilers ahead for the films in question. 

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Awards – The Costumes of 2018 That Made Us Say ‘Hot Damn’

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There are many techniques you can use to help build your world, or ground your setting, or give dimensions to your characters. You can use music, you can create elaborate sets, but one of the best ways is the costumes you create.

People make instant judgments about a character within moments on the screen and the outfits are a really important part of that first impression. More than this, you can also use costumes as a way for storytelling, what do they say about this world, what do they say about how a character is progressing.  

Costumes can build worlds, tell us details we can only see, but also they can just make us say ‘hot damn’ look at that beading on that dress, that must have taken hours to do. So without further ado, these are the costumes that made us say ‘hot damn’ in 2018. Be warned that there may be some slight spoilers ahead for the films in question.     

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Awards – The Musical Scores of 2018 That Overflow You

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One factor that I will always look out for with a film and that is the musical score. I can get caught in the world of the music, as it sits in my head in the days, weeks and months that come. There is immense artistry in weaving emotions from music, having us slip into the world that is created, fear the oncoming dread even if we do know why, or rejoice in the triumph of that final victory.

Music charts the cinematic world, it guides us, it can lift us up, and it can crush our souls, this is its power.

Before we start, an honourable mention has to go to Deadpool 2 for having the gumption to get Céline Dion to sing a completely straight rendition of the title theme, over some of the most ridiculous film titles. So without further ado, these are the musical score that moved us in 2018. Be warned that there may be some slight spoilers ahead for the films in question.  

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Awards – Explosions, Guns, and Punches, Oh My. The Best Action of 2018

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Explosions, Guns, and Punches, Oh My. The Best Action of 2018

A good Action sequence is something that is truly amazing to watch, as it can be as expansive as explosions crashing across the screen, or more intimate, like a duel between two people. This gives the best action scenes such a range and in 2018 we were given some truly amazing spectacles.

For me the best action scenes are those that excel in every element, whether that be live actions, special effects, digital effects, or animation and bring every facet to shine. It is also the category that looks at some of the department’s people don’t often fully understand like stunt coordination or the 2nd unit.

So without further ado, these are the moments of action that awed us in 2018. Be warned that there may be some slight spoilers ahead for the films in question.

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Awards – Tension That Kept You On the Edge Of Your Seat!

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Tension That Kept You On the Edge Of Your Seat!

Tension is one of the most difficult facets of filmmaking to pull off because it requires the script, direction, acting, and editing to all work in tandem to evoke the perfect pace. If just one part of that group misses then the most important part of the film falls apart.

In 2018 we continued to see some excellent use of tension used to build mystery, or to be the harbinger of the coming dread, or even the ticking clock of inevitability.   

So without further ado, these are the moments of tension that kept us on the edge of our seats in 2018. Be warned that there may be some slight spoilers ahead for the films in question.

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Awards – Cinematography That Made You Go Wow!

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Cinematography That Made You Go Wow!

Cinematography is an art form that can be as bold as a gong crashing after a moment of silence, or as subtle as the tide coming in. It is something that elevates a film to the heights of accolade or turns a film into a frustrating mess when it misfires.

While at the heart of cinematography is the Director of Photography or Cinematographer, to get something from the script to the final shot takes a whole team of professionals, and it is their talent that we champion today.

So without further ado, these are the moments of cinematography that took our breaths away in 2018. Be warned that there may be some slight spoilers ahead for the films in question.

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Inca First Look and Analysis – Civilization VI: Gathering Storm

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Pachacuti of the Inca in Civilization 6 Gathering Storm. Image Credit: Firaxis Games
Pachacuti of the Inca in Civilization 6 Gathering Storm. Image Credit: Firaxis Games

Inca Bonuses

Civilization Leader:  Pachacuti
Leader Agenda: 
Civilization Capital: Qusqu
Civilization Bonus:  Mit’a – Citizens can work Mountain Tiles (Production, Also Food if next to a Terrace Farm)
Leader Bonus:  Qhapaq Ñan – Domestic Trade Routes get bonus food for Mountain Tiles in Starting city, Can Build the Qhapaq Ñan an early Tunnel.
Unique Unit:  Warak’aq – Reconnaissance Unit, can attack twice if it still has movement points
Unique Tile Improvement: Terrace Farm – Can only be built on Hills, + Food, + Housing, gets bonus food for adjacent Mountains, + production for adjacent Aqueducts, + production for Fresh Water Adjacency
Rivers: Ucayali River

Inca Analysis

Goodness, there have been production and food civs in the game so far, but nothing quite pans out as much as the Inca do in Gathering Storm.

The first big change is unlike every other civilization in the game, The Inca can work mountain tiles, which means that since you want to be near them for your Terrace Farms, they are no longer dead weight. This will also boost your Science and Faith Districts that like Mountain adjacency.

Indeed, it is these Terrace Farms that provide such a strong bonus working great adjacency weather they are near mountains, or rivers, or both. Yes, they are tempered by the fact that you need hills, and if you are unlucky with that you could be a bit stuffed. However, I always get at least some hills in a start before. I mean these might knock Australia’s Outback Station off the best tile improvement spot.

The other bonuses are all nice, but really it is the food/Production nexus that really makes the Inca stand out, and this means that they will be a very flexible civilization, giving you the ability to switch up which victory you go for.

Inca First Look

You can check out all the Features in Civilization VI: Gathering Storm HERE and join in the discussions at the Civfanatics Forums

You can check out our Civilization Full Map HERE

By Brian MacNamara: You can follow Brian on Twitter Here, when he’s not chatting about Movies and TV, he’ll be talking about International Relations, or the Solar System.

What Civs would you like to see in Civ 6 Gathering Storm?, let us know what you thought in the comments below, feel free to share this review on any of the social medias and you can follow us Here. Check out all our past reviews and articles Here, and have a happy day.